Question Selling meat birds from the house?

[Reboot]

We've been selling our excess eggs from the homestead since our first flock started producing them last fall. We've incubated several batches of new birds this year and have done fairly well for our egg and meat needs at home. Our repeat egg customers have often asked about buying meat birds from us but I know there are limitations as to what may be sold off a farm. We have dairy goats as well and in researching them for our place I did find the applicable legislation regarding meat/milk sales.... we can't do it which is fine as the goats are just for us anyway. Does anyone know what the law is with chickens sold off the farm or if its even allowed? We do not advertise meat sales and frankly by the time the cost of just the bird and feed to market weight alone is calculated in our Wyandottes are already at $25 each which isn't something I'd ever expect anyone to pay for a 4 pound bird! I don't factor in our hydro, coop litter material changes or my time and resources (vacuum seal bags etc) to process a bird either. I'm sure if I did I'd be closer to $30 asking price for a meat bird. I certainly appreciate anyone's experience or advice on the matter if they felt like sharing it.

[Farrier1987]

Far as I know you cant do it legally. What you can do is sell them live and they can do the butchering or take them to a registered abattoir and the customer takes it from there (I think).

[Reboot]

Thats what I've thought too and what I've been telling anyone who asks for meat birds Farrier but I'd like to know that for certain if I can find the source. I did find the legislation on gate sales of farm eggs prior to selling our eggs. If there was a way to sell above board we'd consider doing so but if we were to sell/ trade any birds I'd likely stick to the current connections we already have (family). I had to chuckle at the thought of a walk in customer wanting a meat bird and me handing them a wildly flapping, pecking, screeching cloud of feathers I just pulled out of the coop upside down by the legs. That would definitely stop the requests I bet!

[Ontario Chick]

You can raise 300 meat chickens without quota, BUT, you can't sell them or, interestingly enough, give them away.
I am sure we have all accidentally given away or bartered for all sorts of somewhat illegal goods, but this kind of adventure can get pretty expensive if you get caught.
Few years back, when we were stil raising meat chickens for our own consumption, since I am tiny bit retentive, I did the math. I weighted the little blighters, and the final tally over period of 2 years told me that raising birds for your family is only slightly un-economical , doing it for others would be insanity.
More detailed info can be found under "Chicken Farmers of Ontario"

[Reboot]

We took up raising our on birds to ensure we are getting quality food and definitely not as a cash savings measure. I have not estimated the added value of tick reduction on our property nor the addition of nitrogen to my wife's garden from coop litter. We are fine with that decision then and now. But you're right Ontario Chick it doesn't make sense to me to sell meat birds as it does not recover our costs to raise that meat. Then there is the recent link I uncovered indicating a $2000 fine and 6 months imprisonment if found guilty on a first offence...... yeah, no thanks. That outcome would not help the bottom line either I am sure!

[Killerbunny]

@Reboot
https://www.familyfoodgrower.ca/Family-Food-FAQs
Here is the link to CFO. You are in fact allowed to sell chickens at Farm Gate Only and you may raise a maximum of 300 birds . I got my form 300 from them and if you buy meat blob chicks they will provide you with a form then. This is the form you need to have them processed. They will Email you a form if you hatch your own "non-white" birds. Frankly to even break even you need to raise meat blobs which are so gross I can't do it!
I will say that the person on the phone was very helpful when I needed a form300 for home raised roosters.
Best of luck.

[Killerbunny]

My other suggestion would be (of course) turkeys! You can raise up to 50 and sell at Farm Gate if officially processed. The timing of grow out needs care because my processor only does them the week before Thanksgiving and the week before Xmas. I break even at around $4/lb but that is my neighbour price. A reasonable price would be around $6/lb. Organic would be much more. My birds are Beltsvilles and are very thrifty but even day olds from the feed store can work. The youngsters also take care of potato bugs and all manner of pests along with young shoots of peas. beans etc.

[Ontario Chick]

https://www.familyfoodgrower.ca/Family-Food-FAQs
Here is the link to CFO. You are in fact allowed to sell chickens at Farm Gate Only and you may raise a maximum of 300 birds .

Cool that's a new one, glad they loosened the reins a bit.

[Reboot]

Boy am I glad I posted this! Thanks everyone. I've submitted online to the Food Program to be registered as a grower. I may have a better chance of breaking even once I redesign our fencing and figure out a way to keep the dairy goats and chickens out of each others feed. Our goat paddock is about an acre with only a few goats on it so lots of room for free ranging Wyandottes to forage and reduce summer feed costs. That goat fence has worked to keep the coyotes and foxes at bay and will be a welcome change from moving elctro netting around the property for just the chickens so they can somewhat free range. The tick reduction skills of our birds will be welcomed by the goats (and me) I'm sure. We won't keep those GMO nuclear chickens here as my wife won't have anything to do with that kind of husbandry and we are very conscious of biosecurity here. We do have a farm vet who comes to the farm on occasion. We have had disease issues here before as anyone who recalls my first posts will know. That issue was confirmed as a non issue by the local Guelph University path lab results after we quarantined our birds after losing a couple last spring.

[Killerbunny]

Yes I found those poor meat birds dreadfully upsetting when I saw some. I raised Barred Rock roosters this year and they are delicious! The meat is darker though but that suits us.
Best of luck.